{"id":464,"date":"2013-01-12T00:19:37","date_gmt":"2013-01-12T00:19:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/guruparamparai.wordpress.com\/?p=464"},"modified":"2024-10-15T09:55:45","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T09:55:45","slug":"thiruvarangapperumal-arayar-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acharyas.koyil.org\/index.php\/2013\/01\/12\/thiruvarangapperumal-arayar-english\/","title":{"rendered":"thiruvarangapperumAL arayar"},"content":{"rendered":"

sri:
\nsrimathE rAmAnujAya nama:
\nsrimadh varavaramunayE nama:
\nsri vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:<\/p>\n

\"thiruvarangaperumal-arayar\"<\/a>thiruvarangapperumAL arayar – srirangam<\/p>\n

Thirunakshathram: <\/strong>vaikAsi, kEttai<\/p>\n

avathAra sthalam: srirangam
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

AchAryan<\/strong>: maNakkAl nambi<\/a>, ALavandhAr<\/a><\/p>\n

Sishyas<\/strong>: emperumAnAr (grantha kAlakshEpa sishya)<\/p>\n

Place where he attained paramapadham<\/strong>: thiruvarangam<\/p>\n

thiruvarangapperumAL arayar is the son of ALavandhAr<\/a> and was one of the prime sishyas of ALavandhAr<\/a>.<\/p>\n

arayar was expert in music, dance and drama. It was during his arayar sEvai infront of namperumAL during an adhyayana uthsavam, he was singing “kedumidar” padhigam of thiruvAimozhi (10.2). In that padhigam, looking at ALavandhAr<\/a> who is the leader of the assembly, he sings “nadaminO namargaLuLLIr nAmumakku aRiya chonnOm” meaning “Oh! my dear devotees, go to thiruvananthapuram now”, ALavandhAr<\/a> accepts that as the instruction from namperumAL himself and leaves to thiruvananthapuram to perform mangaLAsAsanam to anantha sayana perumAL.<\/p>\n

From the words of ALavandhAr<\/a> during his final days, it is clear that arayar had great attachment towards thiruppANAzhwAr. During his final days, ALavandhAr declares that everyone should be very attached to thiruvarangapperumAL arayar because of his utmost devotion towards periya perumAL<\/a> and thiruppANAzhwAr. Such is arayar’s greatness, that he is even glorified in public by ALavandhAr<\/a> himself.<\/p>\n

arayar was instrumental in bringing rAmAnujar to srirangam. After ALavandhAr<\/a>‘s time and after emperumAnAr<\/a> accepting sannyAsAsramam, all the srivaishnavas in srirangam pray to namperumAL to bring rAmAnujar to srirangam for living there permanently. periya perumAL<\/a> at once sends a request to dhEva perumAL to send rAmAnujar to srIrangam. But pEraruLALan says he cannot send rAmAnjuar who is very dear to his heart. periya perumAL then devises a special plan to bring emperumAnAr over to srIrangam. He tells arayar that pEraruLALan<\/a> likes music and sthOthram very much and once he is pleased he will give anything to the ones who pleased him with sthOthram. So, he instructs arayar to ask for emperumAnAr when dhEva perumAL wishes him to give anything.<\/p>\n

\"varadhar-arayar-ramanujar\"<\/a>arayar then leaves to kAnchIpuram, and when he reaches there, he is welcomed by varam tharum perumAL arayar (who is the local arayar swamy) to his thirumALigai and is looked after nicely. The next day, thirukkachi nambi hears about arayar’s arrival and he goes and offers his praNAmams and enquires about his well being. arayar requests nambi to bring him to dhEva perumAL for mangaLAsAsanam (it is customary for srivaishnavas while going to dhivyadhEsams, to always go to emperumAn with\/through local kainkaryaparars). nambi obliges and arayar when seeing dhEva perumAL offers his obeisances reciting “kadhA punas chanka rathAng kalpaka dhvaja aravindha angucha vajra lAnchanam; thrivikrama thvachcharaNAmbhuja dhvayam madhIya mUrdhdhAnam alankarishyathi” meaning “Oh thrivikrama! when Oh when your lotus feet which has many auspicious symbols like the conch, sudharshana chakram, kalpaka tree, lotus, etcis going to decorate my head”. emperumAn through his archakars presents him thIrtham, prasAdham, srIsatagOpam, etc to him and asks him to render arayar sEvai in front of him. arayar with great love and devotion sings from many AzhwAr’s srIsUkthis with dance and action. emperumAn becomes extremely pleased and offers him many gifts. arayar says that he does not need those gifts and tells him that because dhEva perumAL<\/a> is the one who bestows the desirers with whatever they desire for, emperumAn should also fulfill his desires. emperumAn agrees and says “I will give anything but myself and my wifes; go ahead and ask”. arayar then shows rAmAnujar and says that he wants him to be brought along to srIrangam. dhEva perumAL says “I did not think you were going to ask for him; ask for something else”. arayar replies “you are none other than srI rAman who does not have two words – you cannot refuse any more”. dhEva perumAL then finally agrees and gives a farewell to rAmAnujar<\/a>. arayar holding rAmAnujar’s hands and starts his journey towards srIrangam. rAmAnujar then asks AzhwAn<\/a> and ANdAn to go to his mutt and bring his thiruvArAdhana perumAL (pEraruLALan) and all the paraphernelia and leaves to srIrangam with everyone after taking permission from dhEva perumAL. Thus, arayar did the most important favour for srIvaishnavam by bringing rAmAnujar over to srIrangam to establish our sampradhAyam firmly and take it to great heights.<\/p>\n

ALavandhAr<\/a> instructs his 5 main sishyas to teach 5 different aspects to udayavar<\/a>. periya nambi<\/a> performs pancha samskAram to udayavar. periya thirumalai nambi teaches srI rAmAyaNam. thirukkOshtiyUr nambi teaches thirumanthra and charama slOka meanings. thirumAlai ANdAn teaches thiruvAimozhi. thiruvarangapperumAL arayar was instructed by ALavandhAr to teach some parts of aruLicheyal and charamOpAyam (the ultimate means – AchArya nishtai) to udayavar. emperumAnAr learns thiruvAimozhi fully from thirumAlai ANdAn and then periya nambi instructs him to learn the essence of our sampradhAyam from arayar. emperumAnAr, following the principles identified in sAsthram, first performs kainkaryam to arayar for 6 months before asking him to teach anything. He prepares milk in proper warmth every day and also prepares turmeric paste for arayar to be applied on him when necessary.<\/p>\n

\"namperumal-arayar-ramanujar\"<\/a>Once emperumAnAr prepares the turmeric paste that was not satisfactory for arayar – udayavar finds that out just by looking at arayar’s face which shows dissatisfaction. udayavar then prepares another batch of turmeric paste which satisfies arayar’s heart so much that he instructs the ultimate means and ultimate goal – AchArya kainkaryam. He instructs that “we should always think that the emperumAn who is lying down in kshIrAbdhi (milk ocean) is the one who has taken the form of AchAryan”. We have already seen charamOpAyam in detail in ponnadi.blogspot.in\/p\/charamopaya-nirnayam.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n

arayar’s greatness is revealed in many idhihyams. Let us see a couple here:<\/p>\n